New Zealand is one of the last great wildernesses on earth. We believe it is our privilege — and our responsibility — to help preserve it for the people who come after us.
When we founded Kiwi Grand Tours, we made a commitment that our growth would never come at the expense of the places, communities, and cultures that make New Zealand extraordinary.
We design every experience with three questions in mind: Does this support local people? Does it protect the natural environment? Does it authentically represent the culture of Aotearoa?
We are working towards Qualmark certification — New Zealand's official quality and sustainability standard, owned by Tourism New Zealand and recognised globally by the GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council).
We have adopted the Tiaki Promise — a commitment made by New Zealand's tourism industry to care for New Zealand, for now and for future generations. Tiaki means "to care for people and place."
As part of the Tiaki Promise, we encourage all our clients to:
🌿 Care for land, sea, and nature · 🛤️ Travel safely and thoughtfully · 🏡 Respect culture and community · 🔥 Reduce waste and leave no trace
Every booking with Kiwi Grand Tours is shaped by these four commitments.
We minimise our environmental footprint at every step and actively support conservation efforts across Aotearoa.
We approach Māori culture with deep respect — supporting authentic experiences that benefit iwi communities directly.
We deliberately choose local, independent, and family-owned suppliers over large multinational chains wherever possible.
We are working to reduce and offset the carbon impact of all our programmes and eliminate single-use plastic from all client touchpoints.
We brief every client on the Tiaki Promise and local conservation guidelines before travel.
We do not take groups to fragile sites during sensitive ecological periods (e.g. nesting season).
We select accommodation partners who actively manage energy use and waste reduction.
We pay every supplier promptly and fairly -- we do not squeeze local operators on price.
We employ and support local guides and never use non-NZ-resident guides for NZ programmes.
We report our sustainability progress annually and are transparent about areas still improving.
We provide a minimum 1% of revenue to NZ conservation organisations each year.
We actively discourage "bucket-list tourism" that damages natural or cultural sites.
Qualmark is New Zealand's official tourism quality assurance mark, owned by Tourism New Zealand and aligned with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). We are actively progressing our Qualmark application -- this certification is the benchmark of quality and sustainability that every serious NZ tourism operator should hold.
Qualmark-certified businesses receive priority listing on newzealand.com -- the world's most-visited NZ tourism website -- and are recognised by Air New Zealand, Tourism Export Council NZ, and international travel trade bodies.
Every journey with Kiwi Grand Tours is designed to leave New Zealand better than we found it -- for the next traveller, the next generation, and the people who call Aotearoa home.
Plan a Responsible Journey